Bologna, Italy — 24 September 2025 – The third edition of The Bologna Gathering (TBG) closed with a remarkable achievement: on Thursday 18 September alone, more than 1,000 one-to-one meetings were held between scale-up founders, investors, and senior corporate executives — all in less than eight hours at the newly opened campus of Bologna Business School. A clear demonstration of an ecosystem determined to turn connections into investments, and investments into Europe’s next champions.

This achievement comprised part of the two-day event — Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 September — during which Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna region welcomed 300 selected decision-makers: founders of scale-ups and “unicorns” from over ten technology sectors, senior executives from leading Italian and international corporates, and venture capital and private equity investors from Europe, the Americas, and Asia — with over €39bn in assets under management (AUM).

From the stage, speakers outlined clear priorities for Europe’s technological future. Among the most significant contributions, Alec Ross (technology policy expert, entrepreneur, and distinguished professor) stressed the urgency of valuing talent through competitive salaries and stronger equity incentive schemes such as ESOPs. Luca De Angelis (CEO, Tech Europe Foundation) highlighted the need to back truly disruptive ideas, even if they require patient capital. Massimiliano Pellegrini (CEO, Namirial) emphasised that constant adaptation to market changes is essential for steady growth. Alessandro Scortecci (Chief Investment Officer, CDP Venture Capital) underlined the importance of giving broad visibility to the economic and technological successes of Italian ventures, showing that tangible innovation is possible, and that channelling European capital into venture capital is a strategic and forward-looking choice.

One of the most significant announcements came from IT4LIA AI Factory, an internationally recognised project promoting the adoption of artificial intelligence in Italy and Europe. During the event, IT4LIA unveiled an investment plan of more than €400m over three years that will deploy a supercomputer in Bologna dedicated to artificial intelligence — providing free access to GPUs and expert support, including for start-ups and early-stage AI projects.

The choice of iconic venues — from the Salaborsa Library on 17 September to the Bologna Business School and finally Palazzo De Rossi for the gala dinner on 18 September — highlighted the region’s ambition to establish itself as an international hub of innovation.

The Bologna Gathering, powered by CTE COBO, was founded by ART-ER, the Regional Agency for Innovation, the Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, and the Emilia-Romagna Region. Key partners of the 2025 edition are the Houses of Emerging Technologies funded by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), the BI-REX Competence Centre, and IT4LIA AI Factory.

The event stands as a leading example of public–private collaboration: produced by Cubbit and the association StartYouUp, with FNDX as premium sponsor, in close partnership with BBS - Bologna Business School and G-Factor (Fondazione Golinelli), and with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo, Almacube, MUG Magazzini Generativi, Gianni & Origoni, and Gellify.

“These two days of work and meetings with top-tier investors confirm that our region is increasingly recognised as an attractive ecosystem and one of Europe’s foremost hubs of innovation. The more than 1,000 meetings testify the maturity of this ecosystem and its ability to connect the best talents, the most disruptive ideas, and international capital. As the Emilia-Romagna Region, we are proud to have contributed to creating a platform that transforms connections into concrete growth opportunities, placing our region at the heart of the strategy to relaunch and affirm technological sovereignty in Europe and Italy," - said  Vincenzo Colla, Vice President of the Emilia-Romagna Region.

“The Bologna Gathering has showcased the extraordinary innovative potential of Bologna and the wider territory: our ecosystem is dynamic, vibrant, and attractive both nationally and internationally. It is a driving force for innovation with unique qualities, fuelled by talents and centres of excellence that embody our vision of growth as sustainable and inclusive. The number of meetings and the calibre of participants confirm the concrete nature of these opportunities. Since the very first edition, we have contributed to building this project, and we are now even more convinced that the synergic commitment with the Region and the virtuous collaboration with private partners is the right strategy — with the city as its engine,” added Rosa Grimaldi, Delegate for economic promotion and attractiveness of the Municipality and Metropolitan City of Bologna.

“In less than two days, The Bologna Gathering showed that the Emilia-Romagna region and Bologna host a highly dynamic ecosystem ready to drive European innovation and attract new talent and capital,  - commented Stefano Onofri and Alessandro Cillario, co-founders of Cubbit, the Bologna-based scale-up partnering on the event. “Over 1,000 meetings in eight hours are more than just a number: they will soon translate into partnerships, deals, and investments. As Mario Draghi reminded us, ‘Do something!’ That is what we did by bringing 300 leaders to Bologna from Europe, the Americas, and Asia — founders, investors, and corporates who are together writing the next chapter of European innovation. Europe cannot afford to lose the tech race: this edition showed that Italy can and must be at the forefront of Europe’s tech transformation.”

 

www.bolognagathering.com 

ART-ER Media Relations

ufficiostampa@art-er.it

Raffaella Agostini

+393476545366

 

Cubbit Media Relations

Francesco Pazzaglia

francesco.pazzaglia@cubbit.io  

+393342339101

 

 

📢 Line-up | The Bologna Gathering 2025

 

🌍 International VC Investors

Agreen.Fund, Armilar, Asahi Kasei Europe, Aster Capital, Balderton, Blackrock, Contrarian Ventures, DFF Ventures, Dream Ventures, DTCP, EarlyBird, Eight Roads, Energy & Environment Investment, ETF Partners, Eurazeo, Founders Factory, Future Energy Ventures - FEV, Grey Silo Ventures, Hitachi Ventures (CVC), Hoxton Ventures, IMPACT Partners, Indico Capital, Ion Pacific, Join Capital, Leo Capital, Moonstone VC, Omnes Capital, Outlast Fund, Red-stars.com, Scale Capital, Senovo, Speedinvest, Tyrion Partners, White Star Capital.

 

🌱VC Investors & Family Offices (based in Italy)

2100 Ventures, 20 Fund, Alecla7, Alpha Venture / Rainmakers, Atempo Growth, B Heroes, BGroup (Seragnoli), Blacksheep Ventures, CDP Venture Capital, CDP Venture Capital Fondo Evoluzione, Deep Ocean Capital, Feedel Venture, FNDX, Fondazione Social Venture GDA, Giano Capital, Growth Engine, Haystack Ventures, Italian Founders Fund (IFF), Kairos Partners, LIFTT, Maya Investments, MiTO, NEVA (independent), Nextalia SGR, Nova Capital, OBLOO, Obloo (E-R fund), Over Ventures, Planven, Plug&Play Italy, Primo Capital, Punch Capital, Rancilio Cube, Sella Direct Ventures, Step Venture, Tech Stars, The Liquid Factory, Ulixes Partners, United Ventures, Ventive, Vento, ZEST.

 

💼 Corporates

ABB, Aruba, Azimut Libera Impresa, Baker Tilly Italia, CAAB, CNH Industrial, CNS, CRIF SpA, CURTI Industries, Dallara, E4 Computer, Electrolux, Engineering, Eurenergia, Fastweb+Vodafone, Fincantieri, Gruppo Hera, Hyntelo (Gruppo Assist Digital), Intesa Sanpaolo e Intesa Sanpaolo Private, JP Morgan, Leonardo, Lepida, Max Mara Fashion Group, Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Namirial Spa, Pelliconi, Pirelli, Piquadro, PwC, Rai Way, RCF SPA, Sacmi s.c., SAP Global Private Equity, SEW Eurodrive, SOL Group, Soriano Group, TeamSystem, Tetrapak, TIM,  UniCredit e UniCredit - StartLab, WExecutive, Wiit Spa, Zanichelli Editore.

 

🚀 Startups/Scaleups

Arsenale BioYards, Astreo, Awentia Vision Technologies, BKN301, BonusX, Celeste, Complaion, Connectia, Crono, Cyberating Srl, Dabohn Srl, D-Orbit, e-plato, eAgronom, Exein, FABA, Foreverland Food, Golbriak Space, HMDrive S.r.l., IdentifAI, iGenius, Lexroom, Makadamia Srl, MAMA SCIENCE S.R.L., Meddle Srl, Minerva System, MON5, Qomodo, Raiku, Reportaid, Robotizr Srl, Samaya AI, Satispay, Scuter, Sibill, SiPearl, Skudo, Subbyx, Supaso, Tinental, Truescreen, Unguess, Wayla.

 

💡 Innovators

A3 Cube Inc., Akka.app, Clust-er Innovate, CRIT srl, Dock, Dynamo, e-Residency, Emotion Network, Endeavor Italy, Enterprise Estonia, Future Food Institute,  I3P, IFAB, Italian Tech Alliance, Latvian Investment Agency, LIL Milan, Mediter Partners, Pick1/HyperFair, Siena Lane Partners, Talent Garden, Tech Europe Foundation, UrbanHub, Vantaa City.

 

🎤 Speakers

Alec Ross (technology policy expert, entrepreneur, and distinguished professor), Alessandro Scortecci (Chief Investment Officer, CDP Venture Capital), Elena Moneta (Principal, Balderton Capital), Fabio Nalucci (Founder, FNDX and Gellify),  Francesco Ubertini (President, CINECA), Gianni Cuozzo (CEO, Exein),  Massimiliano Pellegrini (CEO, Namirial), Laurens Groenendijk (Founder, Just Eat and DFF), Pierluigi Paracchi (founder of Genenta Science, listed on NASDAQ), and many others.

 

 

Event partners:

 

CTE COBO - House of Emerging Technologies of the Municipality of Bologna - A flagship project of the innovation platform Bologna Innovation Square, led by the Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, CTE COBO is a distributed technology transfer centre with a budget of nearly €20 million. Benefiting from the highest funding in Italy from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, MiMiT) as part of the House of Emerging Technologies (Case delle Tecnologie Emergenti, CTE) programme, and supported by 16 partners (including the Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, ART-ER, BI-REX, G-Factor, GELLIFY, and Cineca), it aims to establish a network of stakeholders forming the basis of a unique innovation ecosystem in the national landscape. This supports the technological challenges of businesses and public sector institutions through emerging technologies enabled by 5G (IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain). In just over a year of activity, it has allocated over €2.5 million to 62 businesses and startups, and involved more than 400 companies, incubators, accelerators, competence centres, professionals, and researchers. www.ctecobo.it

Houses of Emerging Technologies (Case delle Tecnologie Emergenti, CTE) - The Houses of Emerging Technologies (Case delle Tecnologie Emergenti, CTE), launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, MiMiT), represent a unique model of collaborative and regional innovation. The total funding for the project exceeds €143 million (with around €120 million provided by MiMiT from FSC resources) and is part of the Support Programme for Emerging 5G Technologies. Through this initiative, the Houses of Emerging Technologies have given rise to multidisciplinary Innovation Hubs where municipalities, universities, research centres, startups, and SMEs collaborate on areas such as Smart Cities, Industry 4.0, the cultural and creative industries, and sustainable mobility.

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To date, the 13 Houses of Emerging Technologies have supported over 900 innovative SMEs and startups, organised more than 650 events to promote initiatives in Italy and abroad using emerging technologies, carried out 143 technological pilot projects, and delivered 180 training initiatives, establishing themselves as real engines of local development. However, their impact goes beyond the numbers: they have helped create 13 innovation ecosystems rooted in their respective areas (Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Campobasso, Genoa, L’Aquila, Matera, Naples, Pesaro, Prato, Rome, Taranto, and Turin), enhancing latent skills and generating both social and entrepreneurial cohesion.

ART-ER - Attractiveness Research Territory is the Emilia-Romagna Joint Stock Consortium born with the purpose of fostering the region’s sustainable growth by developing innovation and knowledge, attractiveness and internationalisation of the territory. Its activities are aimed at strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem and relationships among its components, promoting the internationalisation of the business and research system to foster sustainable growth in the regions, increasing research and innovation capabilities and productivity, and successfully integrating into global value chains and new markets. www.art-er.it

METROPOLITAN CITY AND MUNICIPALITY OF BOLOGNA - The metropolitan area plays a key role as a strategic hub of the regional economy. Bologna is home to a network of both physical and intangible research and innovation infrastructures that are recognised at both regional and national levels, serving as a driver for the entire regional system. The Metropolitan City and Municipality of Bologna, through the strategic mandate project City of Knowledge, promote a series of policies to foster economic development and attractiveness, strengthen innovation, and encourage synergy and collaboration among all ecosystem players. This integrated system encompasses various projects and services, including BIS – Bologna Innovation Square, the House of Emerging Technologies of the Municipality of Bologna (CTE COBO), and services promoting territorial attractiveness.

BI-REX - BI-REX is the national Competence Centre specialising in Big Data and enabling technologies for Industry 4.0. It is a Public-Private Partnership involving 64 partners. including universities, research centres, and leading businesses. It supports companies through innovation and digital transformation paths, offering training, consultancy, test-before-invest initiatives, and co-development of technology transfer projects. At the core of its offer is the Pilot Line: a digitally interconnected factory available to businesses, integrating 4.0 technologies with traditional processes for real-world experimentation, demonstration, and prototyping.

FNDX - FNDX is a consultancy firm specialised in technical advisory for venture capital and private equity funds, helping select the most promising innovative projects and emerging technologies for investment. In addition to investment advisory services, FNDX offers M&A advisory for entrepreneurs and talented founders on digital products and companies across all stages of growth – from early fundraising, through later funding rounds, to support during the exit phase. https://fndx.vc/

GELLIFY - GELLIFY is a global innovation factory that integrates strategy, design, and technology, supporting the growth of organisations from vision to execution through its “purple way”. GELLIFY helps organisations implement new business models, technology roadmaps, digital strategies, and products, also thanks to its portfolio of B2B software assets. www.gellify.com

G-FACTOR - G-Factor, the incubator-accelerator for young businesses created in 2018 by Fondazione Golinelli, is an ecosystem that transforms the high innovation and technology potential of young people and scientists into entrepreneurial realities capable of succeeding in the market with replicable and scalable models. It addresses the growing need to foster integration between research, industry, and the market, placing young people, their business ideas, scientific research, and their ability to produce innovation and new technologies at the centre.

G-Factor adopts an experimental approach to accelerating market entry for selected companies, based on equity investments made through capital and expertise. This is underpinned by a patient approach, guided by both scientific and market logic, and driven by the belief that the combination of finance and training is critical to the success and growth of the most innovative entrepreneurial ventures. Alongside financial leverage, G-Factor offers training and support throughout the early years of development. All skill- and experience-building pathways are highly personalised to meet the specific needs of each team. In some cases, G-Factor also acts as a venture builder or startup studio. While its core focus is on life sciences, G-Factor also partners with companies in the fields of fintech, insurtech, agritech, foodtech, social impact, smart mobility, and travel.

ALMACUBE - Almacube is the innovation hub and incubator of the University of Bologna, certified by the Ministry of Economic Development. Since 1999, it has supported innovation and economic development in the region, acting as a bridge between academic research and industry. Initially created to enhance university spin-offs, Almacube has expanded its scope, now operating through two business units:

• Open Innovation Unit, guiding established companies through their innovation processes

• Startup & Spin-off Unit, supporting startup and spin-off growth through effective business and go-to-market strategies

With a strategic and collaborative approach, Almacube serves a diverse audience including startups, SMEs, corporates, and innovators. It actively involves students, young professionals, researchers, and professors in programmes based on advanced methodologies such as Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Human-Centred Innovation.

With Almacube, the potential of academic research meets market needs, generating innovative and sustainable solutions for the future.

GIANNI & ORIGONI - Gianni & Origoni is an international, independent law firm and a leader in consultancy and assistance across all areas of business law.

Founded in 1988, the firm now has over 490 highly specialised lawyers based in Italy (Rome, Milan, Bologna, Padua, and Turin) and abroad (Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, New York, and Shanghai). Recognised nationally and internationally for its achievements in Italy and other jurisdictions, the firm has received prestigious awards and ranks among the top law firms in the field.

As a full-service firm, one of its core strengths is mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Gianni & Origoni plays a key role in many of the most prominent M&A transactions in Italy and is ranked among the top firms in the sector. To meet growing client demand for legal expertise in innovation and technology transfer, the firm expanded its services in 2016 by launching GOP4Venture – a specialised team dedicated to venture capital and investments in startups and innovative companies. Its mission is to meet the needs of venture capital funds, investment firms and investors, founders, innovative SMEs, as well as accelerators, incubators, and spin-offs from research centres.

BOLOGNA BUSINESS SCHOOL - Bologna Business School is a private foundation created by the University of Bologna to offer post-graduate and post-experience executive education.

In addition to the University of Bologna, the following are partners in BBS: Automobili Lamborghini, BBS Society of Scholars, Confindustria Emilia Centro, Dallara Automobili, Ferrari, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna, Fondazione Guglielmo Marconi, Granarolo, IMA, Marchesini Group, and Unicredit.

The school is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach, integration with the productive context of Emilia-Romagna, and for its focus on “industry champions” (leading organisations in their own sectors or in their niches, regardless of size).

INTESA SANPAOLO - Intesa Sanpaolo, with €419 billion in loans and €1,400 billion in customer financial assets as of June 2025, is the largest banking group in Italy, with a significant international presence. It is a European leader in wealth management, with a strong strategic orientation towards digital innovation and fintech. In the ESG sphere, the Bank has committed €115 billion in impact lending by 2025 to support communities and the green transition. A €1.5 billion programme (2023–2027) has been launched in support of vulnerable individuals and communities. The Bank’s museum network, Gallerie d’Italia, serves as the exhibition venue for its proprietary art collections and for cultural initiatives of recognised value.

MUG – Magazzini Generativi - MUG – Magazzini Generativi is an innovation hub developed by Emil Banca, located at Via Emilia Levante 9 in Bologna, Italy. It was created through the regeneration of a former 1,700+ m² warehouse. It is a technologically advanced collaborative space hosting offices, coworking areas, meeting rooms, workshop spaces of different sizes, a nursery, and a 99-seat auditorium. MUG positions itself as a home for startups, third-sector organisations, talent, businesses, and stakeholders, offering an ideal environment for high-impact economic and social projects, with a strong focus on sustainability and welfare. The project fosters cross-pollination between innovation, business, and culture through open innovation initiatives that actively engage the local community and a network of public and private partners and stakeholders.

IT4LIA - IT4LIA AI Factory is one of the first European platforms specialised in accelerating the development and adoption of artificial intelligence in industry and society. Hosted at Bologna’s Tecnopolo – an international centre of excellence in supercomputing and data science – the Factory provides access to a cutting-edge supercomputer optimised for AI applications, providing Europe’s leading computing power. IT4LIA was created as a collaborative platform between research and industry, promoting technology transfer through specialist services, training, and a network of public and private partners – with the support of the European Commission, the Ministry of University and Research, the National Cybersecurity Agency, and various regional players. It aims to build a national and international ecosystem enabling startups, SMEs, large enterprises, and public institutions to access and maximise AI’s potential, positioning Italy as a global leader in the field.

CUBBIT - Cubbit is the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, developing sovereign solutions to protect the data of companies and institutions across Europe and worldwide. Its groundbreaking software enables service providers, enterprises, and public entities to create their geo-distributed cloud storage system in minutes, adaptable to each organisation’s infrastructure strategy. This ensures full control and sovereignty over data, simplifies management workflows, and optimises costs. Today, Cubbit’s hyper-resilient and cybersecure technology is adopted by 400+ companies and partners, including Leonardo (world leader in defence and cybersecurity) and Rai Way (part of the RAI group, active in the media and data centre sectors), and serviced by Exclusive Networks (global distributor, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange). Cubbit is also supported by international tech partners such as HPE, Accenture, and Equinix. For more information, visit: https://www.cubbit.io